1. Volume 41, Issue 6, Pages 929-942 (March 2004)
Fusion Pore Dynamics Are Regulated by Synaptotagmin•t-SNARE Interactions 
Jihong Bai, Chih-Tien Wang, David A Richards, Meyer B Jackson, Edwin R Chapman 
Neuron 
Volume 41, Issue 6, Pages (March 2004)
DOI: /S (04)

2. Figure 1
Ca2+ Triggers Binding of the Cytoplasmic Domain of syt to Isolated t-SNAREs, t-SNARE Heterodimers, and Assembled SNARE Complexes
Co-immunoprecipitation experiments were carried out as described in Experimental Procedures. 30% of the bound material was loaded onto the gel and separated by SDS-PAGE; bands were visualized with Coomassie blue. Total corresponds to 10% of the binding reaction. Controls lacking t-SNAREs and antibodies were analyzed in parallel.
(A) C2A-C2B binds to syntaxin (syx; left) and SNAP-25 (right) in a Ca2+-dependent manner. C2A-C2B (2 μM) was incubated either with or without full-length his6-syntaxin or his6-SNAP-25 (2 μM) in the presence of 2 mM EGTA or 1 mM Ca2+ in 150 μl TBS. Syntaxin was immunoprecipitated with monoclonal antibody HPC-1; SNAP-25 was immunoprecipitated with monoclonal antibody 71.2.
(B) C2A-C2B binds to syntaxin/SNAP-25 heterodimers in a Ca2+-dependent manner. Purified t-SNARE heterodimers are shown at left. Co-immunoprecipitation of C2A-C2B with syntaxin/SNAP-25 heterodimers (right) was carried out using HPC-1 as described in (A).
(C) Ca2+-dependent binding of C2A-C2B to assembled SNARE complexes. Experiments were carried out as in (A), except that C2A-C2B was mixed with assembled SDS-resistant midi SNARE complexes (2 μM; left), and co-immunoprecipitation (right) was carried out using an anti-syb monoclonal antibody (69.1).
Neuron  , DOI: ( /S (04) )

3. Figure 2
FRET Reports Ca2+-Dependent and Reversible Interactions between syt and SNAP-25
(A) Native Trp residues (amino acids 259, 390, and 404) in C2A-C2B* (the asterisk indicates the K326,327A mutation that prevents aggregation of syt•SNAP-25 complexes, as detailed in the text) served as the energy donors and were excited at 285 nm. The emission spectra of the AEDANS-SNAP-25 acceptor were collected from 420 to 540 nm. C2A-C2B* (10 μM) and AEDANS-SNAP-25 (1 μM) were mixed in the presence of 0.1 mM EGTA (step 1), Ca2+ was then added to reach a final Ca2+ concentration of 1 mM (step 2). Addition of Ca2+ triggered an increase in AEDANS fluorescence and a decrease in Trp fluorescence (data not shown). The increase in AEDANS fluorescence was reversed by adding 2 mM EGTA (step 3).
(B) C2A-C2B*•AEDANS-SNAP-25 interactions are sensitive to ionic strength. Experiments were carried out as described in (A) but in the presence of 1 M NaCl. The fluorescence intensity of the AEDANS acceptor was the same in EGTA and Ca2+, indicating that C2A-C2B*•AEDANS-SNAP-25 interactions are abolished in buffers with high ionic strength.
(C) Ca2+ binding to C2A-C2B* is essential forthe syt•SNAP-25 interactions observed using the FRET assay. Two Ca2+ ligands in each C2 domain of C2A-C2B* were neutralized (D230,232N in C2A and D363,365N in C2B) to disrupt Ca2+ binding (Fernandez et al., 2001; Zhang et al., 1998), Ca2+-triggered membrane binding, and Ca2+-triggered t-SNARE binding activities (Earles et al., 2001) of syt. This mutant version of C2A-C2B* failed to induce the Ca2+-dependent increase in the AEDANS acceptor.
(D) Ca2+ dependence of C2A-C2B*•AEDANS-SNAP-25 complex assembly measured via FRET. The corrected emission spectra were obtained as described in (A) and integrated from 440 to 540 nm. The changes in fluorescence intensity were normalized, plotted, and fit as a function of [Ca2+]free with GraphPad Prism 2.0 software. The [Ca2+]1/2 was 155 ± 15 μM and the Hill coefficient was 1.5 ± 0.2.
Neuron  , DOI: ( /S (04) )

4. Figure 3
Rapid Ca2+-Triggered Assembly and Rearrangements within C2A-C2B*•AEDANS-SNAP-25 Complexes
(A) Top: Ca2+-dependent C2A-C2B*•AEDANS-SNAP-25 interactions exhibit at least two kinetic phases: a burst phase and a second slower phase. Stopped flow rapid mixing experiments were carried out under conditions in which the proteins were not premixed prior to addition of Ca2+. The kinetics of a Ca2+-triggered binding reaction are shown in the upper trace. As a control, a mixing experiment using 0.1 mM EGTA is shown the lower trace, thus providing a minimum reference point. The final [C2A-C2B*] was 10 μM and the final [AEDANS-SNAP-25] was 1 μM. The burst phase was complete within the dead time of the instrument (∼1.2 ms), and the second phase could be fitted with a single exponential function (ksp = 258 s−1). Bottom: C2A-C2B* and AEDANS-SNAP-25 were mixed together under the same conditions as in the stopped-flow experiments and co-immunoprecipitated using 71.2 as described in Figure 1A.
(B) Neutralization of Ca2+ ligands in syt abolish Ca2+-triggered interactions with SNAP-25. C2AM-C2BM* was generated as described in Experimental Procedures and analyzed for binding to AEDANS-SNAP-25 in the stopped-flow (top) and co-immunoprecipitation (bottom) assays as described in (A).
(C) The second kinetic component is due to conformational change(s) in the C2A-C2B*•AEDANS-SNAP-25 complex. Stopped-flow rapid mixing experiments were carried out as described in (A). ksp was determined by fitting the data with single exponential functions and plotted versus [C2A-C2B*]. ksp was not dependent on the concentration of C2A-C2B*, demonstrating that this kinetic component reflects postbinding conformational change(s) in the C2A-C2B*•AEDANS-SNAP-25 complex. Error bars represent standard deviations of ksp values from 21 traces.
(D) Disassembly kinetics of Ca2+•C2A-C2B*•AEDANS-SNAP-25 complexes upon chelation of Ca2+. C2A-C2B*•AEDNS-SNAP-25 complexes were assembled at 500 μM Ca2+. Disassembly reactions were carried out by rapidly mixing these complexes with 2 mM EGTA (final). Disassembly data were collected for 100 ms; the plot includes the best fit with a single exponential function (kdiss = 425 s−1). As a control, samples were mixed with buffer containing 500 μM Ca2+, providing a maximum signal reference.
Neuron  , DOI: ( /S (04) )

5. Figure 4
Both C2 Domains of syt Cooperate to Mediate Stiochiometric Binding to syntaxin/SNAP-25
(A) Left: The indicated C2A-C2B, C2A, or C2B (concentrations as indicated) were incubated with syntaxin/SNAP-25 heterodimers (2 μM) in 2 mM EGTA or 1 mM Ca2+; samples were co-immunoprecipitated with HPC-1 and stained with Coomassie blue as described in Figure 1A. In the gel shown on the bottom, C2A and C2B were mixed together; the indicated concentration represents the concentration of each isolated C2 domain. Standards (Std) were 0.7 μg C2A-C2B and 0.45 μg C2A or C2B. Right: Binding of C2A-C2B to syntaxin was quantified by densitometry and is plotted versus [C2A-C2B]; at saturation the stoichiometry was 0.96:1. Syntaxin was used as the reference since the antibody light chain obscured the SNAP-25 band.
(B) C2A-C2B does not bind to full-length syb. Experiments were carried out as described in (A); syb was immunoprecipitated with 69.1.
Neuron  , DOI: ( /S (04) )

6. Figure 5
Lengthening the Linker that Connects C2A and C2B Disrupts syt•t-SNARE Interactions
(A) Molecular model depicting the linker region (residues 264–272) connecting C2A and C2B of syt I. The crystal structure of syt III (Sutton et al., 1999) was used as a template.
(B) Increasing the length of the C2 domain linker region reduces the t-SNARE binding activity of C2A-C2B. Two mutant versions of C2A-C2B, which have either 2 copies (designated as 2×-linker) or 3 copies (designated as 3×-linker) of the linker segment, were generated. Binding assays were carried out as described in Figure 4A; gels were stained with Coomassie blue.
(C) Ca2+-triggered binding of C2A-C2B to syntaxin from (B) was quantified by densitometry and is plotted versus [C2A-C2B]. Error bars represent SD from three independent experiments.
(D) FRET experiments confirm that duplication of the linker segment disrupts SNAP-25 binding activity of C2A-C2B*. Hand mixing experiments were carried out as described in Experimental Procedures. Initially, EGTA was 0.1 mM, followed by addition of 0.6 mM Ca2+; the reaction was then reversed by adding 2 mM EGTA.
(E) The linker mutations affect the rate of the slow phase of Ca2+-triggered C2A-C2B*•AEDANS-SNAP-25 FRET signal change. A kinetic trace of the slow post binding component of 2×-linker*•AEDANS-SNAP-25 interactions is shown. Experiments were carried out as described in Figure 3A. 21 traces for wt and 42 traces for 2×-linker* were analyzed. The average ksp values for C2A-C2B* and 2×-linker* were plotted and are shown in the inset. For C2A-C2B*, ksp = 250 ± 6 s−1; for 2×-linker*, ksp = 182 ± 11 s−1. These data indicate that the linker mutation affects a post binding rearrangement in the C2A-C2B*•AEDANS-SNAP-25 complex. ***p <
Neuron  , DOI: ( /S (04) )

7. Figure 6
Lengthening the Linker that Connects the Tandem C2 Domains of syt Does Not Affect Membrane/Ca2+ Binding Activity
(A) Left: Wild-type, 2×-linker, and 3×-linker C2A-C2B bound the same levels of 3H-labeled liposome composed of 25%PS/75%PC. Right: The Ca2+ and membrane binding activity of the C2A domain was disrupted by neutralization of two Ca2+ ligands (D230,232N) (Bai et al., 2002; Zhang et al., 1998); under these conditions, all lipid binding activity of C2AM-C2B is mediated by the C2B domain. 3H-labeled liposome binding assays were carried out as described (Bai et al., 2002); each construct bound identical levels of liposomes. Thus, changes in the linker do not disrupt the ability of C2A to activate the membrane binding activity of C2B (Bai et al., 2002).
(B) The linker mutations do not affect the Ca2+ dependence of syt•PS/PC membrane interactions. 3H-labeled liposome binding assays were carried out using 25%PS/75%PC as described above, but as a function of free Ca2+. Data were normalized, plotted, and fitted with GraphPad Prism 2.0 software. The [Ca2+]1/2 and Hill coefficients were: wt, 20 ± 2 μM and 2.4 ± 0.4; 2×-linker, 19 ± 1 μM and 2.8 ± 0.5; 3×-linker, 21 ± 3 μM and 2.1 ± 0.3, respectively.
(C) Stopped-flow rapid mixing experiments demonstrated that the linker mutant versions of C2A-C2B bind to PS/PC liposomes with kinetics that are identical to wt C2A-C2B. Liposomes were composed of dansyl-PE (3%), PS (25%), and PC (72%). Trp residues in wt and mutant C2A-C2B were excited at 285 nm, and the emission spectra of the dansyl-PE acceptor was collected using a 470 nm band-pass filter. Left: Representative example of the kinetics of 3×-linker•liposome interactions; a reaction carried out in Ca2+ (0.5 mM) is shown in the upper trace, and as a control, a mixing experiment carried out in 0.1 mM EGTA is shown in the lower trace. Right: kobs values were plotted versus [liposome] to obtain kon (slope) and koff (y intercept). For wt C2A-C2B, kon was 2.0 ± 0.1 × 1010 M−1s−1 and koff was 20 ± 10 s−1. Almost identical data were obtained for the 2×-linker (kon was 2.0 ± 0.2 × 1010 M−1s−1 and koff was 14 ± 11 s−1) and 3×-linker versions of C2A-C2B (kon was 1.9 ± 0.1 × 1010 M−1s−1 and koff was 21 ± 17 s−1). Error bars represent standard deviations (n = 3).
(D) Wild-type, 2×-linker, and 3×-linker C2A-C2B bound identical levels of 3H-labeled liposome composed of 1.4%PIP2/98.6%PC. 3H-labeled liposome binding assays were carried out as described (Bai et al., 2002).
Neuron  , DOI: ( /S (04) )

8. Figure 7
The Linker Mutations Abrogate the Inhibitory Activity of syt Fragments in Cracked PC12 Cell Secretion Assays
(A) Catecholamine release from PC12 cells was monitored using rotating disc electrode voltammetry as described (Earles et al., 2001). Three raw traces corresponding to the addition of HBS (control), C2A-C2B* (10 μM), or 3×-linker* (10 μM) at 1 min prior to the addition of Ca2+ (indicated by open arrow; 100 μM) into 350 μl of cracked cells are shown.
(B) The extent of inhibition by C2A-C2B*, 2×-, or 3×-linker* was calculated by comparing amplitudes of release profiles generated in the presence and absence of inhibitor 80 s after the addition of Ca2+.
(C) The inhibitory activity of C2A-C2B washes out of cracked cells in the absence of Ca2+. C2A-C2B (10 μM) was incubated with cracked cells for 10 min on ice, once set of samples were washed once in a 20-fold excess of cold release buffer; then release was triggered with Ca2+. Control cells were incubated with buffer lacking C2A-C2B.
Neuron  , DOI: ( /S (04) )

9. Figure 8
Expression and Targeting of HA-Tagged Wild-Type and Mutant syts in PC12 Cells
(A) Immunoblot showing HA-tagged syt expression in transfected cells (top). Bottom: Total levels of syt (endogenous and overexpressed) were assayed using and anti-syt antibody (41.1); transfection results in a ∼2.5-fold increase in the level of syt. The levels of syx, SNAP-25, and syb were unaltered in transfected cells.
(B) Fluorescence localization of HA-tagged wt, 2×-, and 3×-linker syt. Cells were stained for anti-HA fluorescence (red) and for anti-secretogranin fluorescence (green). Green and red channels are shown separately on the left. 3D reconstructions of the merged images, viewed as a maximum projection from above and from two sides, are shown on the right. Yellow indicates colocalization between the two labels.
(C) Quantitation of fluorescence overlap, expressed as percentage of green (secretogranin) colocalizing with red (HA) and percentage of red colocalizing with green. HA-tagged protein was in all cases >90% colocalized with secretogranin. 60%–70% of secretogranin-labeled granules had detectable levels of HA.
Neuron  , DOI: ( /S (04) )

10. Figure 9
Loss of syt•t-SNARE Interactions Results in the Destabilization of Fusion Pores
(A) Amperometric recordings of norepinephrine release from PC12 cells transfected with full-length wt (top), 2×-linker (middle), or 3×-linker (bottom) syt. The solid bar indicates local application of 105 mM KCl for 6.5 s to depolarize the cell.
(B) Cumulative spike frequency in PC12 cells expressing wt and linker mutant versions of syt. The number of spikes per cell was averaged under each condition; the number of cells analyzed were: wt = 30, 2×-linker = 22, and 3×-linker = 22.
(C) Mean spike frequency (top) and spike latency (bottom). Frequency was calculated as the maximum slope from the plots in (B); first-spike latency was averaged from all recordings. Means are taken from the first depolarization with KCl from 22–30 cells. Each construct was transfected into cells in four independent trials. *p < 0.05; ***p <
(D) Lifetime distribution of prespike feet from cells expressing wt, 2×-, or 3×-linker syt. Examples of amperometric spikes are shown on the right: the shaded region indicates the prespike foot signals. Single exponential fits yielded the mean open time (τo). τo was 1.65 ± 0.07, 1.33 ± 0.05, and 1.01 ± 0.03 ms for wt, 2×-, and 3×-linker syt, respectively. Data were collected from 80–99 events.
(E and F) Comparisons of τ (E) and mean NE flux (F) values obtained from PC12 cells expressing with wt, 2×-, and 3×-linker syt. ***p < Note: overexpression of wt syt does not change the release frequency, latency, and average NE flux as compared to control PC12 cells that express GFP alone; the mean open time for control cells was 1.38 ms (Wang et al., 2001).
Neuron  , DOI: ( /S (04) )